Automatic electric switch.



l 4NTTED STATES PATENT OFFIC.

CIIARLES F. BUTTE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO PAUL C. F. BUTTE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 692,005, dated January 28, 1902. Application filed May 1,1901. Serial No. 58.257. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern; dinary switchboard being well understood Be it known that I, CHARLES F. BUTTE, a and not materially changed. citizen of the United States, residing in the The tubelis fastened into the base 2, which city and county of San Francisco, State of forms one terminal of the plug and to which` 5 California, have invented an Improvement in is connected one wire of the cord 7 by means 55 Automatic Electric Switches; and I hereby of the screw 20. Within the tube 1 and in'- declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and sulated therefrom and from the base by in* exact description of the same. sulating-bushings 3, so as not to have any My invention relates to an improved de-` connection therewith, is the rod or stem t, ro vice for connecting or disconnecting-electric Fig. 3. This stein 4 has a head 5, formed 6o circuits, and which I term an automatic with or fixed to it, which forms the other ter# switch. minal of the plug. At the other end of the It consists of a base carrying a latch-lever stem 4 is a nut G, which fastens the stem 4 and armature, an electromagnet and a tube, with relation to the tube 1. To this end of I5 a spring and sleeve which are slidable over stern et is fastened the other terminal of cord 65 the tube. The sleeve containsa recess, with 7, thereby completing the circuit from the which the latch-lever engages when the spring plug-tip and sleeve. is compressed, therebylockingthe sleeve and On the tube 1 are a sleeve 8 and spring 9, holding the spring at tension and retaining whichiare free to slide thereon. The sleeve 8 zo switch in desired position. The electromagis slotted or channeled on one side, as shown 7o net when energized acts upon the latclriever at 10, and a pin 11, fixed to the tube l, enters to release the same, thereby releasing the slot 10 and acts as a guide to keep the sleeve sleeve and allowing the spring to force the 8 in alinemcnt with the base 2 when sliding switch to connect or disconnect the circuit. and also acts a stop both for the sleeve 8 and z5 Myinvention also comprises details of conthe distance the plug can be inserted into 75 struction, which will be more fully explained socket. The action of the spring 9 is always by reference to the accompanying drawings, againstthebaseZand the sleeve 8. Therefore in which- V the normal condition ot' the plug is with the Figure 1 is a View showing the pluginserted sleeve 8 always against the pin 11, which,as 3o into the board-socket, the spring compressed, before stated, acts as a stop. In order to 8o and the latch and sleeve engaged. Fig.` 2 maintain the plug in position against the acshows the plug disengaged from the socket tion of spring 9 to force it out when inserted and the parts in their normal position. Fig. into a socket, the recess or catch 12 on sleeve 3 is a sectional view at right angles to Fig. 1, 8 will engage with the latch 13 when the plug 35 showing thepparts in their normal position. has been inserted into the socket, thereby 85 Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the locking the sleeve and maintainingthespring connection of a pair of plugs with relay and in tension. The latch 13 is carried upon the common battery. i end of lever 15, which is fulcrumed in base I have inthe present illustration shown my 2, as shown at 111, and its other end forms or 4o invention as applied to a telephone-switchcarries an armature, as at 16. The electro- 9o boardin which plugs are introduced into sockmagnet 17 is so located with relation to the ets to make connections between subscribers, armature 16 that when the electromagnet is and when the plugs are removed from the energizedit willimmediatelyattractthearlnasockets the connect-ion is broken. ture 16, thereby causing lever 15 to tilt on 45 Itis the object of my invention to provide its fulcrum 14, and thus disengage the latch 95 a means to automatically remove the plugs 13 from the recess or catch 12 of the sleeve 8. when the connection is no longer desired. The releasing of the latch 13 from the recess In my drawings I have only illustrated so or catch 12 allows the spring 9 to act upon much of the device as is necessary to explain sleeve 8, which restsV against the face of the 5o my improvement, the construction of the orsocket in board A, thus forcing the plug from roo lthe socket, and the plug will then fall to its place on the table of the switch-board by means of a roller-weight hung upon the cord 7 in the usual manner.

The connection of the relay, Fig. 4, with relation to the main lines of the subscribers telephone may be in the same manner as the clearing-out drop of the present system, orl

the circuits of the switch may be applied t xo any telephone system when certain conditions have been complied with, which are within the knowledge ot' any one skilled in the art.

The electromagnet 17 is energized by means of a common battery, which is thrown into circuit when the subscriber hangs up or ditions have `been complied with, and such arrangements of the device as will answer the conditions are within the knowledge of any one skilled in the art. I do not therefore limit myself to the exact mechanism herein 3o shown or to the application of the device to telephone-switchboards.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. An automatic electric switch including a plug having spring-pressed circuit making and breaking devices, a latching mechanism therefor carried thereby, a socket into which the head of the plug is inserted whereby the spring is compressed and the latch engaged simultaneously, means completing an electrical circuit when the plug is inserted, and means for disengaging the latch.

2. An automatic electric switch comprising a plug, having spring-pressed circuit making and breaking devices, a retaining-latch therefor carried thereby, electrical connections, and a socket into which the plug is inserted whereby an electrical circuit is completed, the spring compressed and the latch engaged simultaneously, and an electrically-actuated device for disengaging the latch, said device carried by the plug.

3. An automatic electric switch consisting of a stem with a contact-making head, a tube concentric with and insulated therefrom, and a base by which they are carried, a sleeve slidable on the tube and a spring acting to normally force it forward, a latch by which theA sleeve is engaged when retracted, and an elecd tromagnet carried by lthe switch and acting when energized to release the latch.

4. An automatic electric switch including a plug having a stem with a contact-making head, a socket into which said head is inserti ed, electrical contacts, aspring encircling said stein and acting to disengage the head, and compressed when the head is inserted, a latch by which the spring is retained under tension, and an electromagnet by which the latch is disengaged, said latch and-magnet carried by the plug.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES F. BUTTE. Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, CHAs. E. TowNsEND. 

